The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Lithotripsy is a common method for fragmenting stones, or calculi, in the urinary tract, kidneys, and/or bladder. Most lithotripsy devices use ultrasound, laser, or pneumatic energy sources to fragment such stones. Typically, the lithotripter includes a shaft connected to an electrically controlled driver or a pneumatic actuator. The shaft is inserted into the patient's anatomy to a location near the stone, and a waveform is sent through the shaft to impact the stone with the shaft to create a jackhammer or drilling effect on the stone, thus fragmenting the stone into smaller elements that are easier to remove. The stone fragments are then removed by irrigation and/or baskets.
Among the literature that can pertain to this technology include the following patent documents and published patent applications: US 2011/0245736; US 2006/0155210; U.S. Pat. No. 1,657,765; U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,336, and WO2008/144274, all incorporated by reference for all purposes.
Current lithotripsy devices may be expensive, complicated, and/or less effective at fragmenting stones than desired. For example, certain lithotripsy devices employ compressed gas that delivers a single pulse of energy to fragment urinary calculi with each activation. Fragments are then removed with a different device. Further, a new cartridge of compressed gas is required for each procedure, and the various components associated with these types of devices are sterilized and disinfected between procedures. In other lithotripsy systems, the driver that delivers the waveform to the stone and the control module that operates the driver are separate components. Some parts of the driver may be disposable, but other parts are cleaned and disinfected before each procedure.
Accordingly, there exists a need for more effective, simpler, and/or less expensive lithotripsy devices.